A Qualitative Study on Midwives' Perceptions of Physiologic Birth in Singapore.

Midwives are advocates for parturients, and their actions and attitudes can influence a woman's experience during childbirth. Hence, it is valuable to examine midwives' perceptions of physiologic birth in an obstetric-led environment. A descriptive, qualitative study design was utilized. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 10 registered midwives from the birthing suite of a public hospital in Singapore. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three major themes were (1) perceptions of physiologic birth, (2) perceived facilitators of physiologic birth, and (3) perceived barriers to physiologic birth. Interestingly, senior midwives in this study experienced more negative outcomes with physiologic birth, resulting in apprehension and reduced confidence levels. This study contributed to the understanding of midwives' perceptions regarding facilitators and barriers to physiologic birth. Factors such as supporting birthing team and antepartum education could be useful in supporting physiologic birth. However, advanced age of some of the midwives was found in this study to be a barrier to physiologic birth.

Use of telelactation interventions to improve breastfeeding outcomes among mothers: A mixed-studies systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding has multiple positive impacts on infants, mothers, and the economy. PROBLEM: However, the global breastfeeding rates fall short of the World Health Organization's recommendations. Telelactation interventions have been shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes, yet this field has not been systematically reviewed. AIM: This mixed-studies systematic review aims to consolidate and synthesize findings on the available evidence of telelactation interventions on breastfeeding outcomes, uptake of these interventions, and provide recommendations for future lactation interventions. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in six electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and Scopus) and one gray literature (Mednar) from their inception date to October 2021. Thirteen articles met the selection criteria, and thematic synthesis was conducted to consolidate and synthesize findings from the included studies. FINDINGS: Three themes and nine subthemes were identified: (1) Attributes and receptivity of telelactation interventions, (2) Benefits associated with telelactation interventions, and (3) Recommendations and improvement opportunities. DISCUSSION: Telelactation interventions were well-received by stakeholders (mothers, fathers, and healthcare providers), and receptivity was found to be influenced by primiparity and the perceived usefulness of telelactation consultations (extrinsic motivation). These interventions showed promising improvement in the provider-user relationship and breastfeeding outcomes. Future studies should make telelactation user-friendly, secure their telelactation platforms, increase communication options and built-in functions, and improve care continuity. CONCLUSION: This review highlighted the advantages, recommendations, and future considerations for telelactation interventions. More research is needed to pilot telelactation interventions in various regions and obtain longitudinal data with different time points.